Market Harborough · Leicestershire
Wall tie replacement in Market Harborough
For landlords with older housing stock in Market Harborough, wall ties are worth checking before the cracks appear. A short survey on each elevation gives you a clear record and a priced plan if replacement is needed.
Guide price from£1,750per house inc VAT
- Postcodes
- LE16
- Population
- about 25,000
- Area
- Leicestershire
- Pricing region
- East Midlands
What should you know about the ground under Market Harborough?
Postcode districts LE16 cover Market Harborough, a Leicestershire town of about 25,000 people. If you are just outside Market Harborough, we also cover Corby (10 miles), Kettering (10 miles) and Wigston (10 miles).
Parts of Leicestershire have clay that can shrink near trees in dry spells. Parts of Leicestershire lie on a former coalfield, so a coal mining search is worth checking if movement has no obvious cause. Housing stock in Leicestershire: Victorian terraces in Leicester and Loughborough, inter-war semis and large post-war estates.
Wall tie replacement prices in Market Harborough
The ranges below reflect typical East Midlands costs for wall tie replacement, including VAT. Scaffold, access and making good can push a job to the top of the range.
| Item | Guide price | Per |
|---|---|---|
| Mid-terrace houseest. | £1,750 – £3,450 | per house |
| Semi-detached house | £2,450 – £4,900 | per house |
| Detached houseest. | £3,450 – £6,850 | per house |
| Scaffolding where neededest. | £590 – £1,750 | per elevation |
How we usually approach wall tie replacement
Partial rebuild of the outer leaf
If a section of the outer leaf has bulged too far to be tied back, it is carefully taken down and rebuilt with new ties built in as the work goes up. This is uncommon, and is usually limited to a gable top, a parapet or a panel under a window.
Best for: Outer leaf too distorted to tie back safely
Removing old ties and rebedding
On badly cracked elevations the old ties are cut out from the outer face, the joints raked and rebedded, and the brickwork repointed. It is more work than isolation but removes the source of expansion entirely. An engineer or the survey report usually specifies where this is needed.
Best for: Elevations with severe cracking or lifting
What happens during wall tie replacement, step by step?
Report and quote
You receive a written summary of what the survey found on each elevation, which walls need new ties, whether old ties should be isolated or removed, and a no-obligation written quote with scaffold shown separately.
Access
Ties are fitted across the whole of each affected elevation, so scaffold or a tower is usually needed above ground floor. We plan access around conservatories, extensions, neighbours’ land and any parking that must be suspended.
Deal with the old ties and make good
Old ties are isolated or removed where the report calls for it, cracked joints are raked out and repointed, and drilled holes are filled in matching mortar. A written note of tie positions and findings goes in your property file.
What to look for before calling about wall tie replacement
- Mortar joints that look wider or opened up on one elevation
- Horizontal cracks along mortar joints, repeating every few brick courses
- The roof edge or verge lifting slightly above the brickwork
Rules for wall tie replacement in England
Like-for-like repairs such as crack stitching and repointing do not usually need building control approval in England, but anything that changes or strengthens the structure, such as underpinning or rebuilding a wall, does. If the work touches a party wall, the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 may apply.
Questions about wall tie replacement in Market Harborough
How much should I budget for wall tie replacement in Market Harborough?
Guide prices for wall tie replacement in Market Harborough start from about £1,750 per house, including VAT, on East Midlands rates. Your fixed written price follows photos or a survey and depends on the extent of the work and access.
Can you survey a property in Market Harborough?
Yes. We take enquiries from across Market Harborough, including LE16, and from nearby places such as Corby and Kettering. Send photos for a free initial view and we will tell you what happens next.
Why do houses in Leicestershire crack?
Leicestershire has Mercia Mudstone, Lias clay and glacial till across much of the county, with the Coalville and Swadlincote coalfield in the north-west. Clay soils near large trees can move with the seasons. Only an investigation can say why a particular building has moved.
Will a mortgage lender accept wall tie replacement?
Lenders generally accept properly carried out tie replacement, but they may want to see the survey, the quote or a record of the completed work. If a valuation has flagged wall ties, a written report and itemised quote are usually what the lender or buyer needs next.
How do I know if my wall ties have failed?
The clearest sign is horizontal cracking in the mortar joints repeating every few courses, often with a bulge or a lifted roofline. Wire ties can fail with no cracking at all, so a tie survey with a metal detector and borescope is the only reliable check.
Related work in Market Harborough
- Underpinning
- Structural crack repairs
- Crack stitching
- Mining subsidence repairs
- Bay window subsidence repairs
Wall tie replacement near Market Harborough
If your Market Harborough home has a bulging outer wall, send photos from a few angles and we will help you decide what needs checking first.